Christmas came early for Trump.
Car companies and other top CEOs are rushing to donate millions of dollars to the president-elect’s inaugural fund before Trump, 78, enters the Oval Office on Jan. 20 — Toyota is the latest company to hand over cash.
A representative of the Japan-based automotive manufacturer confirmed in a statement to The Post on Christmas Eve that it had contributed $1 million to the fund.
Toyota’s contribution came as Ford and General Motors both said they would commit $1 million to the incoming president’s fund. Reuters reported,
Trump has imposed a 25% tax on all imports from Mexico, potentially hurting Toyota, which builds its Tacoma pickup trucks there.
The Republican also threatened during his 2024 campaign to impose tariffs of up to 200% on cars coming from Mexico in an effort to protect American automobile manufacturing.
When he arrived at the White House, his efforts to reverse tax and trade policies also prompted those who had feuded politically with the 45th president in the past to turn the other cheek.
Companies that previously vowed not to support political action committees (PACs) that disputed the 2020 election following the January 6 Capitol riot are also donating in large numbers, According to the Wall Street JournalWhich includes Intuit, Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, Goldman Sachs, Bank of America, AT&T and Stanley Black & Decker.
Uber made the largest donation, amounting to $2 million, according to the Journal.
“In the first term, everybody was fighting me,” Trump said during a news conference at Mar-a-Lago. “In this period, everyone wants to be my friend.”
Tech CEOs have also been lounging around Mar-a-Lago in recent weeks, hoping to get comfortable before the 47th president’s term begins, as Trump has expressed interest in significant tech innovation with his confidant Elon Musk. Has expressed.
Amazon founder Jeff Bezos was seen dining with Trump at his Florida estate in early December wrote a check for $1 million Later to fund the inauguration.
Bezos, who has previously spoken out against Trump, said he was “optimistic” about his second term in power.
“This time I’m actually very optimistic,” Bezos revealed at The New York Times’ DealBook Summit in New York in early December.
“It seems like they have a lot of energy for deregulation. If I can help do that, I’m going to help him,” Bezos said. “We have a lot of rules in this country.”
Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg also gave the same amount after meeting Trump at Mar-a-Lago a month earlier, and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman was another billionaire who gave $1 million to the inaugural fund.
“I want to get ideas from them,” Trump said of his conversations with business leaders.
“Look, we want them to do well,” he said after being named “Person of the Year” at the New York Stock Exchange.
Foreign companies have also joined this action. SoftBank, a Japanese investment holding company, Announced that it will invest 100 billion dollars Among US tech projects during Trump’s administration, the once-and-future president unveiled one at a press conference at Mar-a-Lago last week.
Trump had previously promised “fully expedited approvals and permits” to companies investing at least $1 billion in the US.
“Any individual or company investing one billion dollars or more in the United States will receive fully expedited approvals and permits, including, but by no means limited to, all environmental approvals. Get ready to rock!!! he said on Truth Social in early December.
(TagstoTranslate)Politics(T)US News(T)Companies(T)Donald Trump(T)Donations(T)Inauguration(T)Toyota
